Status Report

Discussion in 'The Keep on the Borderlands' started by Shiningted, Sep 12, 2005.

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  1. Shiningted

    Shiningted I want my goat back Administrator

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    Thanks dude. I'll let you know.

    We are working toward an internal milestone (due before the end of the year) and should hopefully have some public feedback shortly.

    Testing has, not surprisingly, revealed a wide variety of things but I am happy to say, it has not to my recollection revealed a single quest-related bug at this point. So at the very least, all the quests should be able to be played through (which is a large part of the fun, of course). And I always aim higher than slightly above the very least ;)
     
  2. Shiningted

    Shiningted I want my goat back Administrator

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    Okay, a small news update.

    Thanks to the efforts of our own Sitra Achara, the KotB animal kingdom has gotten a significant overhaul. We now have:

    - the Familiar mod from the Co8 modpack (whereby you can get your familiars out of the pack and into the party)
    - XVicious/Zoltec's new familiar models
    - ALL NEW FAMILIARS! Weeeeeee! Familiar choices (including originals and altered originals) are now:

    • Bat - Master gains a +3 bonus on Listen checks
    • Cat - Master gains a +3 bonus on Move Silently checks
    • Hawk - Master gains a +3 bonus on Spot checks
    • Lizard - Master gains a +2 bonus on Climb checks (restored to original PHB intent)
    • Owl - Master gains a +3 bonus on Will saves (changed from ToEE)
    • Rat - Master gains a +2 bonus on Fortitude checks
    • Raven - Master gains a +3 bonus on Appraise checks
    • Snake - Master gains a +3 bonus on Bluff checks
    • Toad - Master gains +3 hit points
    • Weasel - Master gains a +2 bonus on Reflex saves
    • Raccoon - Master gains +3 bonus on Sleight of Hand checks
    • Thrush - Master gains +1 bonus to Speak Language skill (1 additional language)
    • Chameleon - Master gains +3 bonus on Hide checks
    • Deer mouse - Master gains +3 bonus on Survival checks
    • Falcon - Master gains +10' speed (WIP!)
    • Box Turtle - Master gains +1 Deflection bonus

    You get the new ones from an animal seller who ALSO sells trained animals (attack dog, chicken and farm dog) to you, so fighters can have animal companions and use their Handle Animal class skill. Or anyone else who wants to buy them.

    He also sells an Ox to haul your loot around, that works like the extra planar chest. But its an Ox! yay!

    All these are being rigorously tested as we speak.
     
    Last edited: Jan 8, 2014
  3. HeJason

    HeJason JK2 Deity

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    This is wicked cool :thumbsup:
     
  4. Zoltec

    Zoltec Pгōdigium

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    That's goodnews, Ted. Don't make it much grandeur or else, I won't be able to move on in life. :)
     
  5. twisty

    twisty Morose Marauder

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    Sounds very cool. What does the Ox do during combat though? Does it kick at enemies like the mule from the first Dungeon Siege ;)
     
  6. Shiningted

    Shiningted I want my goat back Administrator

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    Dungeon Siege had a mule? I wonder why it didn't appear in Lazarus...

    Yes, it will stand its ground and attack things (with a huge strength bonus). BUT it will only stand its ground in a fight, you can't use it as a tank. (Just as a Dwarven Defender ;)) If play-testing reveals it's easy to abuse, we may have to rethink.
     
  7. Zoltec

    Zoltec Pгōdigium

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    Can we have a screenshot of the box turtel? I'm incredibly curiousss of what it looks like... :(

    Hw can we abuse the mule? :p
     
  8. hellblazer

    hellblazer Established Member

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    I'm very interested in how languages are implemented as I don't recall ever seeing that implemented in a graph before. I don't remember encountering it in the demo but that was years ago. In any event, I eagerly await the imminent release of the keep on the borderlands.
     
  9. gazra_1971

    gazra_1971 Knights of Legend

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    As for its "imminent" release, my guess would be that the KotB full module won't be released for a minimum of at least a few months. The Circle of Eight team are working feverishly on finishing/perfecting it.

    If you would like to read the KotB Players Guide - Full.doc while you are waiting for the KotB full module to be released, then you can download it from the attached file below.

    This is what the Players Guide document states about languages:

    Speak Language: The Speak Language skill, sidestepped in the Demo, is now fully implemented. It is a class skill for all classes except Barbarian (who suffer the shortcoming of illiteracy, inasmuch as learning a new language without the aid of writing is twice as difficult). The skill works as follows:

    Each race is assumed to speak its various racial languages
    Other modifiers are taken into account as necessary (ie Wizards always know Draconic, etc)
    Additional languages are then automatically assigned to the character according to their ranks in the skill, taking into account the Int bonus
    The ‘progression’ by which new languages are assigned is static and follows the path shown, which has been devised according to frequency (ie it is assumed you learn Goblin before you learn Gnoll, because more critters speak the former).
    o Elvish
    o Goblin
    o Orc
    o Gnoll
    o Giant
    o Draconic
    o Sylvan
    o Outsider

    Note that Elvish is the only demi-human language mentioned because all other demi-humans encountered on the Borderlands speak Common (as do many of the monsters). Also note that Elves speak all languages in the game. Finally (as a meta-gaming moment: SPOILER ALERT!) note that the Spider Queen communicates in Sylvan.

    To make it clear how the additional languages are assigned to races, the following table explains everything. ‘A’ means automatic (a racial language) while a number in the box indicates how many ranks would normally be needed to know the language:

    Code:
    		Elvish	Goblin	Orc	Gnoll	Giant	Draconic Sylvan	Outsider	   
    Elf		A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	   
    Dwarf		x	A	A	1	A	2	3	4	   
    Half-Elf      	A	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	   
    Halfling      	A	A	A	1	2	3	4	5	   
    Gnome		A	A	A	1	A	A	2	3	   
    Half-Orc     	1	A	A	A	A	A	2	A	   
    Human		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Feb 22, 2014
  10. Shiningted

    Shiningted I want my goat back Administrator

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    Au contraire, Gazra, we are on track for milestone two this weekend and on track for an April release (and yes, its a radical change for this to be on track, but as mentioned, the whole active Co8 team are all focusing on this).

    Just finished: the Castellan's Revel (pg 7, section IV, in the original module). it's just a bunch of chatter which doesn't make for much of a screenshot but here is a party of ill-dressed peasants standing around the table with the main players. One of the main set-pieces :)
     

    Attached Files:

  11. Lidgar

    Lidgar Member

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    Huzzah! Just finished 8.0.1 (which was fantastic), and this news is the nuts, whip cream, and cherry on top!
    :thumbsup:
     
  12. chano

    chano Established Member

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    April is gonna be awesome,, new Game of Thrones season and KoTB release :)
     
  13. Nightcanon

    Nightcanon Garrulous Halfling

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    Awesome news!
    What's the expected level range for the whole thing (i.e. what level might a party expect to be at the end)?
     
  14. hellblazer

    hellblazer Established Member

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    Not to rain on Nightcannon's parade because I am interested in the answer myself, but I hope that Ted and the development focus on balance, challenge, and depth of content instead of allowing us to level to 10 or higher just so we can have high level characters in the game. The original module was for first level players (but so was T1) but I don't know how much content there was/is.
     
  15. gazra_1971

    gazra_1971 Knights of Legend

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    I completed an "evil" playthrough with an adventuring party that consisted of 5 characters, and all of the characters in my party finished the alpha version of the game at level 6. For me, the highlight of the "evil" playthrough was an epic combat against
    elite oriental caravan guards
    . On one occasion, I recommend that you do an "evil" playthrough just for that combat alone.

    I suspect that a "good" playthrough will result in the characters in your party finishing the game at a slightly higher level because there is a lot more combat in a "good" playthrough.

    Keep in mind that The Keep on the Borderlands module is still in the alpha phase of development, which means that more content will be added in the final version of the full release. For one thing, the 2 orc caves at the
    Caves of Chaos
    have not been implemented in the module yet (the caves have, but the orcs haven't). This means that when all of the content has been added to the final version of the module, your characters will probably be able to finish the game at an even higher level.

    Be warned, masterwork weapons and magical weapons are rare in the game, so plan your party accordingly. Don't be disappointed if your fighter or barbarian can't find a decent magical melee weapon to use until halfway through the game (or maybe even near the end of the game). That's just the way that the module is designed, so you'll just have to live with it.
     
    Last edited: Mar 2, 2014
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